Isileth's Story: The Dawn
by Rel Fexive
Summary: The Inquisitor wakes with the rising sun after a night with her lover... WARNING: Minor spoilers for the Sera romance. Also, naughtiness.


The first rays of the morning's sun crept slowly across the room, turned into a multitude of colours by the glittering panes of stained glass in the windows. They illuminated the big, four-poster bed in the centre of the room and tickled its inhabitants into wakefulness. Or at least, one of them.

It seemed to Isileth, in the light of all that was going on in the world, that some might think it selfish for her to feel as happy as she did. As if being happy was out of place amongst the chaos, intrigue and war, possibly even self-indulgent or unfair when others were suffering. And yet... that smile would just not get off of her face.

Carefully easing herself out from under the heavy sheets of the bed, the qunari stood and looked at the bed's other occupant. Only Sera's head and one arm was visible over the covers, the rest of her unfortunately curled up snugly out of view. Her hair somehow managed to be even more of a mess than usual, and... yes, she was even snoring a little.

Isileth turned away before her smile grew into a grin so wide it threatened to make her head fall in half, or something equally outlandish.

"Vashedan," she muttered out loud. "I'm blathering even to myself." She stopped and looked around, frowning; no movement from the bed, and no one else to hear her talk to herself. Good thing, too; it would probably just start rumours of her speaking with the Maker, or something.

Isileth took a sip from a glass of water that stood on her desk. HER desk; that still took some getting used to, even after all this time. The reports and notes strewn across it could stay where they were for now, she decided. The rest of the world could wait for a while.

Carefully pulling one of the windows open, trying to be as quiet as she could, the Inquisitor stepped out onto the balcony facing the sun. She was glad of the blanket she had grabbed from the foot of the bed; despite the sun, it was a cold morning. The light made the surrounding peaks gleam with golden fire, and the cries of distant birds could be heard on the wind. Skyhold seemed quiet, as if no one else was awake yet, but Isileth knew it only looked that way on the surface. The Inquisition was waking, ready for action.

She heard movement behind her.

"'Teetness!"

Isileth smiled (was she ever going to get tired of doing that?) and shook her head a little ruefully. She still hadn't decided if that nickname was better or worse than "Inky". Or "Tadwinks" for that matter.

Sera stepped through the gap in the window and stood beside her, naked as... well, as she had been the previous night. Not that Isileth was complaining.

"Brrr!" the elf exclaimed suddenly, as if the idea of it being cold on the balcony had never occurred to her. "It's bloody nippy out here!"

Isileth glanced briefly to the side and confirmed that yes, it certainly was that. Sera sniggered.

"I saw you looking!" she said gleefully. "Looking's good. Doing's better. Come on," the elf demanded, rubbing her upper arms with her hands, "share that blanket!" Her grin was infectious and entirely naughty. Isileth pretended to think about it for a moment before opening her arms, and the blanket, to allow her lover to step into both of them. "Ooh, I like this!" Sera said as she wrapped her arms around Isileth's waist.

"I am glad you approve," Isileth said with mock gravity. In truth, she had to agree. It had the advantage, one amid many, of putting Sera's all but irresistible lips within easy reach, a fact the taller woman took immediate benefit of. Judging by the reaction it had been the right choice.

When they separated a little breathlessly a few moments later, Sera's eyes flicked downwards between them for a moment before returning upwards to hold Isileth's eyes again, accompanied by that giggling snort that made her nose crinkle up so adorably.

"I still... can't believe..." It was like she could barely get the words out amidst the laughter.

"Breathe, Sera," Isileth reminded her with a smile.

"I can't believe you... shaved a kitten... onto your kitten!" She broke down into a fit of giggles again as Isileth just blinked.

"A... kitten?"

"You know what I mean," Sera said, smiling. Isileth felt a hand move down her side and across her hip. "Small and furry, yeah? And when I stroke it," she continued, speaking more softly, "it makes you purr." The briefest touch of a slim hand suddenly made Isileth's breath catch in her throat.

"I think I get it," she said a little wryly once she could speak again.

"Got it often enough already!" Sera said cheekily. Isileth grinned, and then frowned.

"It was supposed to be a heart," she explained. "I think. With an arrow in it." Sera's eyebrows raised in an expression of pure disbelief. "You try doing that upside down," Isileth continued defensively, "or in a mirror. It's harder than you think."

"Is that what it was?" The elf looked positively incredulous. "I thought it was, well, I said didn't I. With a finger." Her grin grew wider as she wiggled her eyebrows. "Or maybe a tongue, yeah?" More sniggering ensued.

"Maybe next time," Isileth told her, which just made Sera laugh even more, which considering their very close proximity certainly made things quite interesting under the blanket.

"I don't care anyway," Sera announced eventually, smiling happily as she laid her head on Isileth's chest and made a contended noise. "I just like that you put the effort in, yeah?" She looked up at the taller woman through her lashes. "I always like the extra effort." She snickered. "It was a good idea, I just like mine better, that's all."

"I like yours, too," Isileth replied, putting absolutely no specific inflection on any of the words in the slightest... but accompanying them with a wicked little smile of her own. Naturally this prompted more sniggering, which Isileth was slightly surprised to find she wasn't even remotely tired of hearing yet.

"I think I worked that out myself!" Sera grinned, and stood up on tip-toes as if to reach up for a kiss. Instead, lips brushed across Isileth's collarbone, making her shiver. Sera's eyes caught hers for a moment, and then mischief glittered into life in them. Suddenly stepping away and out of the qunari's arms, Sera leant back against the stone railing of the balcony and posed, one hand on hip, and of course still entirely without a stitch of clothing on.

"I think we should definitely do it out here," she announced loudly, so loudly that for a moment Isileth was worried they might hear her in the courtyard below.

"Wait- What?" Isileth was rarely surprised, but this was clearly one of those times.

"You worried someone's going to see us?" Sera asked, looking around pointedly. "We're in the highest tower! You think the birds are going tell anyone?" For a surreal second Isileth had a vision some birds reporting back, in detail, what they had seen to Leliana; she wisely decided against telling Sera about it. Ever.

"Or maybe," Sera continued, slowly running her hand from her hip, across her belly, and then upwards, "you're just worried they'll hear you singing my praises like a drunk bard all across the Frostbacks. Then everyone will know what we're up to!"

"I thought everyone already knew," Isileth said, after taking a moment to find her voice. The view was extremely distracting... and it was not the landscape that was the problem for a change. Her eyes seemed uncertain as to quite where they should come to rest.

"Well, they definitely will before long," Sera smirked. She held out her arms and beckoned with both hands. "I'm freezing here! Come warm me up!"

Smiling, Isileth approached the elf and wrapped her arms around her lover once more, lifting her a little so their faces were closer together. Sera smiled like the cat that had got the cream.

"Like I told you, yeah? _Height_." She kissed the point of Isileth's chin. "Looking's good." Another kiss, almost on her lips. "Doing's better."

The wind carried the sound of laughter to the courtyard below.


End file.
